The invention is directed to devices for switching a high voltage into a low impedance load, and in particular, to rail-gap switching devices triggered by a source of UV radiation to provide low jitter multichannel switching.
A number of devices are capable of low inductance, high voltage switch operation, though these devices are presently limited in repetition rate and switch lifetime. Potential devices for high repetition rate switching operation are the three-electrode electrically triggered rail-gap, such as described in the publication, "Multichannel, High Energy Rail-Gap Switch", G. R. Neil et al, Rev. Sci. Instrum., 49, 401, pp. 401-403, 1978; the dc-triggered gas insulated surface spark gap, such as described in the publication, "Triggered Multichannel Surface Spark Gaps", H. M. von Bergmann, J. Phys. E: Sci. Instrum., Vol. 15, pp. 243-247, 1982; magnetic switches, such as described in the publication, "Basis Principles Governing the Design of Magnetic Switches", D. L. Birx et al, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory report UCID-18831, Nov. 18, 1980; and UV radiation triggered rail-gaps, such as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 262,685, by R. S. Taylor et al, filed on May 11, 1981, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,920 issued Aug. 30, 1983 which corresponds to Canadian Patent Application Ser. No. 353,041, filed May 23, 1980, or in the publication, "Multichannel Switch Triggered by Low Voltage Auxiliary Discharges", D. B. Cohn et al, Review of Sci. Instru., 53(2), Feb. 1982, pp. 253-255.
The electrical triggering of a gas insulated rail-gap consisting of two uniform field electrodes by means of a third knife-edge electrode leads to serious trigger electrode erosion problems. Furthermore, since the technique requires a very fast, high voltage trigger pulse to initiate multichannel breakdown, it is difficult to operate at high repetition rate.
The dc-triggered gas insulated surface spark gap consists of highly non-uniform field electrodes as well as a dielectric surface across which arc-formation occurs. Both of these features will limit the repetition rate and switch lifetime.
On the basis of preliminary results, magnetic switching techniques appear promising for specific applications. However, switch dissipation and switching speed appear to be two limitations of this approach. UV triggering by UV radiation from a laser or corona discharge is a very useful technique for triggering multichannel rail-gaps. However, the present devices do not provide an efficient low jitter operation with the long term reliability and high repetition rate required for commerical high voltage triggering devices.